Alternatives to Visio

[Spacecadet]

I frequently need to create basic flow charts, word is ok for this but there must be a better way.
Are there any free alternatives to MS vision out there?

[beercohol]

Wah, yessir derriz!

[beercohol]

Open Office has a drawing package.

But if you want proper diagramming, have a look at dia.

Also, but I haven't investigated this one, Kivio.

When you say flowcharts, are you talking about old-school flowcharts, or UML Activity Diagrams?

[r0bly0ns]

If you are paying for Office, subscribe to the Microsoft Action Pack instead.


You get 10 licences for loads of software (Office, Visio, Visual Studio, Microsoft Server, Exchange Server, etc...) for £199 a year

[Spacecadet]

Open Office has a drawing package.

downloading that now

But if you want proper diagramming, have a look at dia.

downloading that now

Also, but I haven't investigated this one, Kivio.

seems to be Linux only

When you say flowcharts, are you talking about old-school flowcharts, or UML flow diagrams?

Just old school flow charts, never done any UML stuff (and at this rate never will)

Cheers

[Spacecadet]

If you are paying for Office, subscribe to the Microsoft Action Pack instead.


You get 10 licences for loads of software (Office, Visio, Visual Studio, Microsoft Server, Exchange Server, etc...) for £199 a year

I keep meaning to have a look at that, but for £199 per year i don't think i'll get the use out of it. I have pretty much all the software i need except for a proper diagram creation system

[AtW]

If you are paying for Office, subscribe to the Microsoft Action Pack instead.


You get 10 licences for loads of software (Office, Visio, Visual Studio, Microsoft Server, Exchange Server, etc...) for £199 a year

VS is very crippled in it - this package (that I subscribe to) only makes sense if you have got plenty of computers, I got almost 10 so it works out almost as a good deal.

[xchaotic]

DIA++

It actually did it for me.
If you want really simple stuff go for TechSmith SnagIT - they offer older version for free. It's for screenshots but has nice arrows and shades.

[bogeyman]

I frequently need to create basic flow charts, word is ok for this but there must be a better way.
Are there any free alternatives to MS vision out there?

No. Not really IMHO. I've tried the above mentioned and they are a far cry from recent incarnations of Visio. Compatibility issues when swapping documents with bona-fide Visio are a nightmare.

Visio is one of the Windows apps I can't do without, along with VS and QuickBooks, so I run them on my Mac in a Windows VM (Fusion).

[Spacecadet]

No. Not really IMHO. I've tried the above mentioned and they are a far cry from recent incarnations of Visio. Compatibility issues when swapping documents with bona-fide Visio are a nightmare.

Visio is one of the Windows apps I can't do without, along with VS and QuickBooks, so I run them on my Mac in a Windows VM (Fusion).

having tried some of the alternatives I'll have to agree with you,
Wallet out and cobwebs off, visio has been purchased!